In the prior art, there are various disclosures for providing a wrench socket, stud driver or stud removing tool adapted to tighten on a worn stud, bolt head or nut for quickly removing the same.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,613,942 to Saunders discloses a stud driver having a plurality of cylindrical rollers mounted in a generally tubular cage retained within the tool body. The cage has roller retaining slots formed therein; and the slots have widths which are slightly less than the diameter of the rollers, thereby preventing the rollers from falling through the slots and into the bore of the cage, while permitting the rollers to project through the slots and into the bore to engage a stud positioned therein. Cam surfaces are provided on the inner surface of the housing; and rotation of the housing in either direction relative to the cage causes at least some of the cam surfaces to engage the rollers, thereby urging the roller radially inwardly to grip the stud received therein.
The prior art is also represented by the following U.S. Pats. Nos.: 1,140,567; 1,162,197; 2,063,344; 2,069,527; 2,105,788; 2,220,654; 2,408,335; 2,550,010; 2,833,547; 2,985,049; and 3,889,557.
These prior art mechanisms, as applied to a ratched wrench (or the like) are somewhat cumbersome, expensive to manufacture, or unreliable in their operation; and to the best of our knowledge and belief, have generally met with relatively limited commercial success in the marketplace.